


More Than That

by thegreatandpowerfultoaster



Series: Found Family [3]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Arguing, F/F, That turns into making out, Which was not the plan honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 17:04:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16350671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegreatandpowerfultoaster/pseuds/thegreatandpowerfultoaster
Summary: That was not how arguments were supposed to be resolved, and now Miranda is more confused (and worried) than she'd like to admit.





	More Than That

Shepard doesn't get much time to herself. Miranda gets that of course, even if they're fighting a war. But it seems like a breach of...something for her to be playing music so loud that she can hear it two floors down on a fucking warship.

Thats...that's absurd, right? That's not even just Miranda looking for a reason to snap back at Shepard after a stupid argument, that was just the fact that the bass was ringing though her entire office two floors down.

Had no one done anything about this? It had been going for what felt like a hour now...or maybe that was just the noise making it impossible to think. It didn't matter, this has to end now.

The elevator ride up to her quarters somehow seems longer than sitting in her office, trying to ignore the vibrations of the entire ship. And then...

And then the door is locked, because of course it is. "EDI, unlock the door and open it, please."

The VI chimes and then speaks. "I'm sorry, the Commander has ordered that no one be allowed into her private quarters for the next twelve standard hours. Because it was designated as a matter serious to the mental health of the Commander, I cannot override it, even for you, XO Lawson."

Mental health? Either she had figured out how to get EDI to not let her in, or she was actually having a problem, in which case Miranda realized that she'd have to write another report to the Illusive Man about...and then they'd have to start over, chances were. Start from scratch and...ugh! Why couldn't Shepard just be fine, or at least act like it!

She often prided herself on being able to maintain an even temper. Maybe that was just another thing that had been bred into her-incredible amounts of patience. But for some reason, Jane Shepard managed to test it, without fail at every single encounter that they had.

Miranda allowed herself to scowl, and beat on the solid metal doors. "Damn it, Shepard let me in this instant, or I swear to god-"

The music quieted marginally, the doors wooshed open, and a very weary woman stood in front of her, if the puffy purplish circles around her bloodshot eyes were anything to go by. She hadn't looked this tired last time Miranda had saw her, right?

Actually, come to think of it, how long had it been since she had actually been face to face with her? Going backwards in her mind, Miranda counted 12 hours back from that prison ship, another two days from Okeers lab, a week since Horizon, and a day before that when they had all stuffed in to have dinner in her office.

So it had been a lot longer than she had originally thought. And that would explain why Shepard hadn't looked this bad before. And somehow that rules out the possibility of manipulating EDI for quiet time, too. "How long has it been since you slept?"

She shrugs nonchalantly, and her weight clearly shifts from one side to the other and god, she shouldn't be noticing that of all things "A while. Do you need something?"

"Yes, actually. Turn down your...what is that noise? Whatever it is, I can hear it from the cargo bay. " Somehow that seemed like it probably wasn't even an exaggeration.

Miranda watches as she puffs up, sucking air into her chest and trying to gain even more height on her, as if it's needed. "It's pop opera, and it's my ship, so I'll do whatever if like at any hour of the cycle that I please, thank you for your concern, XO Lawson, but it isn't needed."

Her serious tone almost downplays the fact that Shepard just said pop and opera in the same sentance. But fine, Miranda can work with that argument. "You want your crew at top performance level, an I correct?"

"What?"

"Do you?" She asks again, clapping her hands behind her back. Shepard just blinks at her a few times and refuses to say anything at all, knowing she's been cornered. "Because right now it is nearing 2300 hours, and most of the crew isn't going to be able to sleep properly because of your less than conventional coping mechanisms. "

She had almost wanted to add a "so take up knitting or something," at the end there, but she kept that to herself to think about later, and what her reaction might've been to that. Nothing good, certainly.

Since Shepard is already fuming of course.

And Miranda just has to keep pushing, even if she shouldt, even if He would disapprove. "I think my concern is definitely warranted, if you're having such a hard time running things that you cannot help but disrupt the entire ship. I might have to write out a report to-"

She's is suddenly backed against the elevator doors, blocked in place by the large, angry Vanguard. "Listen here, damn it! I tried to be nice to you, alright? I tried to see past the Cerbeus propaganda and the willingness to argue with every word that I say, and even the spying on every move I make. But I can't handle this anymore!"

"What are you going to do then?" She asks because apparently that seems like the best idea at this point. Or maybe she's just not as smart or as patient as she had thought.

She lowers her head down quickly and catches Miranda's bottom lip in her teeth, and gently stars to suck on it. She's not thinking anymore, about terrible ideas or what feels like the minor annoyance in her office who knows how long ago. All Miranda knows is that she wants more.

Her hands fly up around Shepards neck and she shoves her mouth closer, unfortunately not coaxing any noises out of her like she had hoped, but it feels so nice and-ah! Shepard's hand moves just below her hips and lifts, and before she can form another coherent thought or plan of action, Miranda legs are wrapped around her waist and she's moving just a tiny bit against her and wow, those noises are coming from her, but frankly enought, she still needs more.

They break apart for a second, both panting and the stark reality of the situation suddenly occurs to her, and Miranda swears. "What were you thinking?!" Chances are is that she wasn't thinking, because Shepard never thinks things through.

She wants the stupid, senseless, infuriating woman to kiss her again.

And then Shepard completely breaks down, which she can't say that she was expecting. The Specter's hands fly to her flushed, tired face. "I'm so, so sorry! I don't what...I didn't even ask, I...oh God what did I do?"

And now, Miranda realizes she's got a choice. Either tell Shepard that it was more than fine, tell her that she wants to kiss her again, and ask what her problem is today, or walk out, try to ignore that just happened and go write her report.

One is definitely easier, and it's the one chooses, even though the guilt rising in her throat and the pool of ache in her lower stomach is telling her that she shouldn't. 

It's easy enough to reach behind her to open the elevator, but it's harder to not look at the increasingly distraught sounding Shepard behind her as she leaves.

she starts a report when she's back in the safe confines of her office. Something about mental instability and sleep insomnia and increased loneliness, but she doesn't finish it and sure as hell doesn't send it.

Instead she writes to her sister. She got out earlier, She's got to know more about human interaction than Miranda seems to be able to manage.

That she sends, asking what she can do and why she feels this way. Why she walked out when she really had wanted to stay. And then she goes to bed, trying to tell herself that they have bigger problems. It doesn't work, but at least the sound shaking the Normandy is gone, as if that's a victory anymore.


End file.
